Masters Results 2014: Top Takeaways and Reaction to Final Standings

Hopefully Bubba Watson looks good in green because he’s making a habit out of winning the Masters.

Watson won a title at Augusta for the second time in three years with an eight under and finished three strokes ahead of the rest of the field. In the process, Watson further extended the recent stretch of domination from left-handed golfers, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:

No left-handed player won any of the first 66 Masters held. Bubba today would make it 6 of the last 12.

Watson struggled a bit during Round 3 when he shot a two-over 74, but his overall excellence during the other three rounds was more than enough to capture the green jacket. Watson shot a 69 in Round 1, 68 in Round 2 and 69 in Round 4 Sunday.

Bleacher Report captured the moment when he received his new jacket from 2013 champion Adam Scott:

Damon Hack of the Golf Channel pointed out that Watson joined some exclusive company with his title, but Justin Ray of ESPN noted that Watson’s two victories in a short three-year span put him next to some of the best golfers in the history of the sport:

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It will be interesting going forward to see how Watson responds to this victory.

After he won the 2012 Masters, he finished tied for 18th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament and missed the cut at the U.S. Open. This time around, Watson has experience as a Masters champion under his belt. He should be more accustomed to the larger galleries at the ensuing tournaments and perform well under the pressure.

For now, though, Watson will enjoy his second Masters title in three years, an incredible feat for any golfer. He was understandably emotional after the victory, and Ashley Mayo of Golf Digest Magazine passed along the champion’s words:

Bubba: "It's a dream to be on the PGA Tour, it's a dream to win. ... So yea, I'm gonna cry." #Masters2014

While Watson won the green jacket, Masters rookie Jordan Spieth held the lead in the early going Sunday.

He ultimately registered bogeys on holes No. 8, 9 and 12, though, and lost out to Watson’s brilliance, but it doesn’t change the fact that he was terrific throughout the tournament. He became the youngest golfer in Masters history to finish either runner-up or tied for second at age 20.

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Amanda Balionis of PGATour.com and the PGA Tour itself both captured quotes from the second-place finisher after the tournament:

"I think I'm ready to win a Major, and that's a great feeling." -Spieth

The good news for both Spieth and Blixt is that there will be plenty of opportunities to win a green jacket in the future. If their starts during the 2014 edition of the tournament are any indication, they will be near the top of the leaderboard for years to come.

Star Power Just Out of Contention

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Watson is certainly a marquee name on the PGA Tour, but there was something of a lack of star power near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.

A number of fan favorites, including Rory McIlory, Lee Westwood, Scott, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar, finished just outside the top three. While they were all impressive at times throughout the tournament, Round 4 was missing the thrilling finish that it would have had if any of them were within two strokes of Watson.